Mail sorting, handling, preparation and verification systems are well known and are commonly used in government, private and/or corporate mail handling facilities. Mail processing systems typically employ automated mail processing apparatus controlled and operated by computers or computerized controllers. The computerized controller can be one or more computers with appropriate hardware and software applications configured to execute desired automated mail processing functions. Additionally, computers typically monitor the operation and performance of the mail processing apparatus and collect and store data related to the operation and performance of a mail processing or verification apparatus, the mail pieces being processed in a mail job and the mailer of the mail pieces.
The collected data can be stored in any number of storage mediums interoperable with the computer, for example on the computer's own hard drive storage, auxiliary storage, disk or tape drives, etc. The data can subsequently be viewed on a computer monitor or saved to a floppy disk or CD or DVD type ROM for transport to and viewing on another computer, e.g., a personal computer. Further, the collection and storage of raw data is typically done as a mail job is in process or on a near-real time basis after the mail job is complete.
One well known mail processing apparatus is an automated mail verification device or apparatus. One example of a mail verification apparatus is a Mailing Evaluation, Readability, and Lookup Instrument (MERLIN) machine or device manufactured and sold by Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies located in Lincolnwood, Ill. A MERLIN verification apparatus is a computerized tool or machine apparatus that is used in a mail processing facility, such as the United States Postal Service (USPS), to verify that a mailer has sorted or presorted mail pieces in the manner claimed by the mailer prior to delivering the sorted mail pieces to the USPS for delivery by the USPS to the intended addressees. The USPS or other receiving postal facility uses the mail verification apparatus devices to verify mailer sorting to thereby make a determination of any discount rate that may be given to the mailer that sorts or pre-sorts its mail pieces in a predetermined or particular manner, e.g., by Zip Code, by city, region, etc. Use of mail verification apparatus or devices also reduce the work required at the postal facility.
Mail verification apparatus can be used in the processing of bulk and non-bulk mail applications. Due to the large number of mail pieces typically involved in many mailings, only a statistically representative sample or number of mail pieces is actually examined by the mail verification apparatus to verify that the mail pieces are pre-sorted in the manner claimed by the mailer for a particular mail job. This is often the case since the number of mail pieces delivered to the postal facility can be in the thousands or hundreds of thousands of mail pieces depending on a particular mailer.
Existing mail verification apparatus, such as the MERLIN machine, typically include a mail piece feeder which can feed about 6000 mail pieces per hour into the verification apparatus, a mail piece thickness detector, a scale which carries out in-line weighing of the mail pieces, a camera system which records images of the mail pieces, an identification (ID) printer which prints a unique ID on each mail piece, and a computer that controls and operates the various components of the mail verification apparatus. The computer also monitors, stores and manipulates data in a particular mail job or run related to the operation and performance of the mail processing apparatus, the processed mail pieces and mailer. An example of a mail verification apparatus or system is described and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,892 for an Automatic System for Verifying Articles containing Indicia Thereon issued on Nov. 6, 2001 to O'Callaghan, et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.
For a given mail job or mail run processed for a mailer, data and information is typically collected by a mail verification device or machine. The collected data and information generally includes two types of job summary data: maintenance or performance data, and mailer data. Maintenance data can include among other items, apparatus or system events such as number of times mail pieces jam in the apparatus, number of mail piece fly-outs, and system faults such as a malfunctioning thickness detector, weight detector and imaging camera, etc. The apparatus maintenance information may assist operation or maintenance personnel in determining whether a verification apparatus is operating well or whether it is malfunctioning and in need of maintenance or repair. Mailer data can include among other items, mailer ID information, whether mailer pre-sorting was accurate and acceptable to postal standards, amount of any postal discount based on the verification apparatus results, etc.
Upon the completion of a mail job or mail run, the mail verification device computer typically executes programs or applications to conduct analysis on the data and information collected. Reports can then be generated which relate to and provide useful information about a particular mail job or run, the operation and performance of the mail verification apparatus, the mail pieces being processed and mailer information. The post processing reports can also be saved to an associated storage medium, e.g., a computer hard drive or associated disk drive, of the mail verification apparatus. The reports can then be accessed and viewed on a designated computer monitor or saved to a storage disk for viewing on another computer, e.g., a personal computer.
Generated reports can include, among others: a system test report having system test results of a completed mail job or run and which can include Pass/Fail status of certain categories, performance values, number of pieces fed and number of pieces matched with pre-printed PLANET barcodes. The pass/fail categories can include barcode readability test results, address accuracy tests, mail thickness and weight measurement test results, pre-sort analysis tests results, etc. The performance values can include address look-up error rate, meter postage recognition rate, PLANET barcode recognition rate, thickness and weight error rate, total number of mail pieces fed and counted, etc.; another report is a GO NO GO test results report that typically consists of the Pass/Fail results for five weight categories (1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 oz.) and the corresponding Pass/Fail results for thickness test of the mail pieces fed. This report also contains all the measurements for the camera calibration test.
Another generated report is a Post Process Report that summarizes the results for a completed job process and contains the latest run results of the verification apparatus and includes information such as mailer information, how many pieces were verified, what errors were found in this job, permit number of the mail job, mail job start and end time, number of fault for job, number of error types, etc. An End of Day Report can also be generated that includes data elements that display the last end of day summary report and includes the total number of processes aborted, the total number of pieces processed for the day, sum of all duration times When the transport is running a process, the total number of mail block jams detected for the day, the total number of fly-out jams detected for the day, etc.
Another generated report is a System Event report that can be generated that contains information indicating when a verification system maintenance event occurs. A system event can be an error, a warning, or informational. A warning will not stop the verification apparatus mail piece transport. A major system error or fault always stops the transport and demands proper maintenance operation. Unlike the mail jam or fly-out detection, a system fault can occur anytime even when the verification apparatus transport is not running and processing mail. And, a Scale Calibration Results report that generates or displays the latest scale calibration results in the verification system or apparatus, and a Merlin verification apparatus System Configuration report that identifies the verification system configuration and is generated every time after a Go/No-Go test run and a System Test run are completed.
Existing postal or mail processing facilities, such as the USPS, typically have computerized mail verification apparatus, such as the MERLIN machines, located at the various USPS facilities through out the USPS system. The computers for the various mail verification apparatus may be physically spread out nationwide, in certain states, regions, areas or districts and may have a certain organizational structure determined by the postal organization. For example, FIG. 5 shows one organizational layout where one or more mail verification computers may be associated with one or more organizational sites, districts or areas. One drawback is that oftentimes the computers of the various verification apparatus may not be connected or networked together.
This drawback makes it difficult for data and reports generated and stored at individual mail verification apparatus computers at the various postal facility locations to be shared or accessed by users at different postal facilities. Personnel or users at a given postal facility can readily access the data stored in their individual mail verification apparatus and perform analysis or manipulation of the raw data and reports as desired. However, the same personnel are limited if they desire access to data from other mail verification apparatus at other postal facilities due to the lack of interconnection or networking between the mail verification apparatus computers at the various parts of an organization, as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, authorized personnel or users at a particular postal facility needing information or data from another mail verification apparatus at other postal facilities may need to first print or save the needed data to a disk or other storage medium and wait for the information to be delivered. The authorized personnel or user could then view the information and perform any necessary analysis or manipulation of the data received. This approach though feasible can be time consuming, inefficient and expensive. Analysis of data from multiple systems, in real or near-real time, is not possible.
There is thus a need for an improved method and system to centralize storage of raw data and information for one or more mail verification apparatus, to facilitate access, manipulation and retrieval of data and reports for one or more networked mail verification apparatus at a central location, and to enable the generation of post processing reports at a centralized server via a user computer or client device in a cost-effective and efficient manner.